'We've got to get Lee,' ATM CEO says...vying with Sociedad for the job
Atletico Madrid, the Spanish Primera Liga club that pushed to sign Lee Kang-in (21) in the summer transfer market, has not given up.
"Atletico Madrid is keeping an eye on Lee Kang-in, one of the signings that fell through last summer," said Spain's OK Diario on the 20th (KST), "CEO Miguel Angel Gilmarin has not forgotten Lee Kang-in. He is convinced that not only can he contribute a lot to the team, but that his image can bring huge economic benefits to the club."
"He turned down Atletico Madrid because he believed he would play more at Paris Saint-Germain, but the reality is completely opposite."
Lee has been on the radar of big clubs since his breakout season with Mallorca last season.
Atletico Madrid were the favorites to sign him. However, they were unwilling to pay Mallorca's €22 million buyout clause. Paris Saint-Germain paid the buyout and gave Lee a five-year contract until 2028.
However, the club decided that Lee hadn't found his place at the club and decided to pursue him again. "Paris Saint-Germain have quality strikers like Kolo Moani, Ousmane Dembele, Goncalo Higuain and Marco Asensio," Diario said, arguing that it was not easy for Lee to secure a starting spot.
According to Diario, Atletico aren't the only team chasing Lee. Real Sociedad and his former club Mallorca have also been mentioned. Real Sociedad are looking at Lee as a replacement for Takefusa Kubo, who has been linked with a move to Real Madrid, while Mallorca are looking to loan him out in January.
However, against the wishes of the three clubs, Lee has become a favorite at Paris Saint-Germain. Lee returned to Paris Saint-Germain after winning a gold medal at the Asian Games and scoring two goals in two consecutive matches in October. PSG Culture, which covers the club's news, highlighted Lee's performances for the national team, writing, "Paris Saint-Germain are waiting for the help of Lee, who joined the club in the summer. He returns to France in a month's time." 카지노사이트777
His lack of playing time at Paris Saint-Germain was due to injuries rather than competition for places. Lee started the opening game against Lorient and the second-round match against Toulouse. He then missed nearly a month with a left quadriceps injury. Now that he's back to full fitness and his team is playing well, the locals have high hopes for him.
Separately, it turns out that Gilmarin wasn't wrong. "Lee is the Parisian who has sold the most jerseys," French journalist Abdella Bulma wrote on Twitter that day, "slightly ahead of Kylian Mbappe." With Lionel Messi and Neymar gone, Mbappe is still the star of the show for Paris Saint-Germain, but Lee has overtaken him in jersey sales, a measure of popularity.
For Atletico Madrid, a club with less money than its Primera Liga title rivals Real Madrid and Barcelona, the commercial benefits of Lee are even more attractive.